A Simple Blood Test Could Help Diagnose Bipolar Disorder: How It Works?

Taking a simple blood test and an online psychiatric assessment can now help you diagnose bipolar disorder, Cambridge University researchers say.

In a study published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal on 25 October, researchers say that while the blood test can diagnose up to “30 percent of patients with bipolar disorder, it is even more effective when combined with a digital mental health assessment.”

How it works: The study says that biomarker testing could help medical professionals differentiate between bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

The researchers pointed out how bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as a major depressive disorder because the two have overlapping symptoms. 

“The combination of patient-reported information and the biomarker test significantly improved diagnostic outcomes for people with bipolar disorder, especially in those where the diagnosis was not obvious.”

Cambridge University

Why this matters: Over 80 million people globally suffer from bipolar disorder. But, as the study pointed out, nearly 40 percent of them get misdiagnosed because of how much the symptoms overlap with other psychiatric conditions.

“When someone with bipolar disorder is experiencing a period of low mood, to a physician, it can look very similar to someone with major depressive disorder. However, the two conditions need to be treated differently: if someone with bipolar disorder is prescribed antidepressants without the addition of a mood stabiliser, it can trigger a manic episode.”

Professor Sabine Bahn, lead researcher

Limitations: The diagnosis is more effective if the concerned person is already seeing a psychiatrist for their treatment.

What the test can help do is make it easier for the doctor to “understand the biological origins of the mental health condition.”